The present invention relates to a photosensitive member, and more particularly, to an organic photosensitive member having a surface protective layer thereon.
Recently prevailing are organic photosensitive members composed of an organic photoconductive material dispersed in a binding resin, since they are more hygienically handled, and more suited for commercial production than those made of selenium, cadmium sulfide, or the like.
The organic photosensitive members are, however, low in hardness, and therefore, are easily abraded and flawed due to the friction with transfer paper, cleaning members, and a developer during their repeated workings.
To eliminate these problems, there is proposed a surface protective layer with a high hardness formed on the surface of an organic photosensitive member.
For example, amorphous hydrocarbon is a well known material for such a surface protective layer featured by high hardness as shown in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. Sho 63-97962, Hei 1-4754, and Hei 1-86158 which disclose techniques of forming a surface protective layer of amorphous hydrocarbon on the surface of an organic photosensitive member.
It is to be noted that an amorphous hydrocarbon layer simply formed on the surface of an organic photosensitive member is inclined to cause numerous wrinkles thereover. As a result, the surface of the layer is not smooth but roughened, which results in failure in the cleaning of the photosensitive member.
The present invention is intended to overcome the above discussed problems, and to improve the conventional photosensitive member comprising a surface protective layer of amorphous hydrocarbon formed on an organic photosensitive layer.